Category: Travel

Europe’s oldest inhabited city, Plovdiv has been ruled by many and invaded by many more. Revival Bulgarian houses sit alongside stark soviet concrete buildings. Modern roads follow the alleyways of an old Ottoman bazaar. Europe’s longest pedestrianised street is interrupted only by a cavernous Roman stadium. And it’s also a pretty affordable place to visit, so what better place to take Nicola for her birthday? … Continue reading Plovdiv, Bulgaria

People are always saying ‘flying isn’t what it used to be’. And too right, it isn’t. For a start it’s cheaper, more fuel-efficient and it’s certainly much safer. And the airport is a great place to sit, watch the world go by and tick off everything on this list. 1. Wheeled suitcases The click, click, click of wheeled suitcases on the tiles, and that person … Continue reading 10 reasons to love the airport

Dinan shouldn’t be confused with Dinard. Although they sound similar, one is a lovely little Breton town near Saint-Malo, while the other is a lovely little Breton town near Saint-Malo. After leaving Perros-Guirec, we passed through the oyster fishing port of Saint-Brieuc, navigating through road closures, cobbled streets and a few one way signs that were almost certainly pointing in the wrong direction, before arriving … Continue reading Dinan, France

Every so often, we carefully pack the MG, I pretend to know what’s going on under the bonnet, declare that it’s ready for a long journey, then we set off to France. This time, it was towards the Côte de Granit Rose on the northern Breton coast. After arriving on the early ferry into Saint-Malo, we fired up the MG and headed towards Perros-Guirec, a … Continue reading Perros-Guirec, France

Autumn is beginning to arrive in the UK by early September. Leaves turn orange, morning mist shrouds fields and the air turns cold. So it was with some anticipation that me and a group of old school friends headed towards the warmth of the south coast of Portugal. Baluarte da Vila, Lagos, was home for the week, in a couple of apartments over the pool … Continue reading Lagos, Portugal

In what seems to have become an annual August bank holiday event, Nicola and I packed the MG full of camping equipment and left London before dawn, headed for the fresh air and open roads of the countryside. This year, to Norfolk. We were headed towards a charming little place called Hickling, where our friends Heidi-Lee and Chris had already set up camp the previous … Continue reading Norfolk Broads, England

The Algarve is an ideal place for some spring sunshine: its quick to get there, the weather is warm, the flights are good value and when you arrive in Portugal, Nicola’s mum has a mega pack of croissants ready for you to eat. As with most trips involving Nicola’s family, there was a surprise element involved. It was Nicola’s Dad Clive’s birthday, and we were … Continue reading Loulé and Faro, Portugal